Their Ever After
by doctorfan90
Summary: Emma remembers her last night with Neal.


She was frantically pacing on a busy street corner, watching intently for her man. "Come on, Neal" she mumbled to herself as she continued to look up and down the intersecting streets. It was getting dark, and she never felt safe when alone at night in the big city. As she looked up at the tall skyscrapers it reminder her of how small she was in this big world. It even reminder her of all of those times she felt so alone. Emma looked down at her watch, 7:15, where was he. It wasn't like him to be this late. He told her he would be meeting her at 7:00. What was taking him so long?

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She quickly turned around, started, only to see Neal standing there with a pizza. He quickly kissed her. "I'm sorry I'm late. I thought I would surprise you with your favorite pizza." Emma gently kissed him back. "What's the occasion?" "Can't a guy surprise his girlfriend once and awhile?" "I suppose. It's just kind of an expensive pizza, Neal. We're already struggling to make rent this month." Neal grabbed her hand and started walking with her down the street towards their apartment. "Let's just say this one was on the house." Emma stopped. "Neal, you didn't pay for that pizza, did you?" "Not quite. But next time I'm there and I see the guy that I took the pizza from I'll buy him one. Fair?" Emma shrugged. At least they would be eating a decent meal tonight. She was getting sick of instant noodles in a cup. A girl can only eat so much of those.

Once they arrived at their small apartment, Neal set the table and Emma grabbed some glasses and a liter bottle of Coke that had been sitting in their fridge for about a week. There was probably enough for two glasses. Neal sat down as Emma emptied the last of the bottle into her glass. "This is all we had. Sorry if it's flat." She set the empty bottle to the side and sat down next to Neal. "Don't worry about it. I'll get some more next time we have money for groceries." Emma smiled at him. "Emma, do you mind if I ask you something?" "Is something wrong, Neal?" He finished chewing the pizza in his mouth and he gently grabbed her hand. "Are you happy?" She was shocked that he would even ask such a thing. "Of course I'm happy. My life has been so much better since I met you. Nothing has been easy, and we sure don't live in a palace, but I wouldn't change it for anything. You've changed my life." Emma leaned over and kissed him. "I want to change things, for us. Aren't you sick of this life? Sneaking around, stealing so we can eat." Emma looked into his eyes. "If that is what we have to do to live, then it's what we have to do." Neal ran his hand through her hair and down her cheek. "I want to change for you. Emma, you deserve so much more than this. I have never loved someone as much as I love you. It may take time, but I want you to have the house, the life, the family you have always dreamed of. First thing tomorrow, I'm going to start looking for a real job. No more running." She smiled from ear to ear. "Really, Neal. You want to settle down and have a family?" "Yes, baby. I do." Emma quickly got up and sat on his lap. She began kissing him, passionately. Neal wrapped his arms underneath her and carried her towards their bedroom. He gently paced her on the bed and positioned himself on beside her.

She deeply kissed him. The words he just said to her meant more to her than he would ever know. Emma slightly tugged on his hair as she ran her fingers through it. And as she did this, Neal ran his hand up and down her body, feeling every inch of her. She wanted him, needed him; he completed her. Every time they were together, everything felt right. She knew they were meant to be.

Neal then parted her lips with his tongue. She was shocked about how aggressive and hungry he was for her. He was rarely like this, but she liked it. She matched his intensity as their tongues intertwined. Emma then felt his hand run under her shirt, up her stomach, towards her breast. He gently, yet firmly, cupped her right breast as she let out a small groan. He began running his fingers along the inside line of her bra. She hated when he teased her, yet she loved it. As he continued, she started lifting up his shirt. She slowly began pulling his shirt over his stomach, chest, and finally, over his shoulders and head. His bare chest was now completely exposed. Emma hands roamed Neal's torso as his muscular chest moved up and down under her fingertips. She could feel his breathing getting faster, making her want him even more.

Before she could react, Neal had lifted her shirt up and over her head, and began kissing her neck. He started just under her left ear and quickly kissed his way down her body. He stopped at her collarbone; one of the spots he knew gave her goose bumps. He kissed back and forth from her neck to her shoulder multiple times as he listed to the subtle noises Emma was making. One of the things he loved most in life was pleasuring her. He would do whatever it takes to make her shutter from his touch. He then moved down her chest, stopping once he reached her breast. Neal reached behind her back and unlatched her bra. He swiftly removed it, exposing her bare chest. He softly kissed her breasts. Emma gasped as he sucked on one nipple and then the other.

She felt him flicker his tongue as he sucked on her. The feeling was incredible. As he did this, she moved her hands down towards his waist and she unbuttoned his jeans. Emma could feel how hard he was. She could tell he wanted her already. She unzipped his pants and pushed them down just over his hips, and she began rubbing his firm shaft. The second she touched him, Neal let out a loud gasp. She knew exactly how much he enjoyed her touch. Neal then undid the button and zipper on her pants and swiftly pulled them off of her. She could feel herself becoming wetter by the minute. She wanted, needed him more than anything.

He loved Emma, more than she would ever know. He knew that they were meant to be together, but now was not the time for them to begin that chapter of their lives. He wanted to give her everything; make her feel like the princess that deep down, he knew she was. Back in the land where he came from, a land that he would never speak of, he knew if you loved a woman, you treated her with respect, and did whatever it took to make her happy. As far as he knew, his father never treated his mother like this, and he made a promise to himself that he would never become his father. And right now, there was only one way he knew to show Emma how much he loved her.

Neal slipped out of his boxers and then began running his fingers along the top of her underwear before sliding his fingers under the silky material. When he found her most sensitive spot, he began running his fingers back and forth between her folds, making her shutter under his touch. He could feel how wet she was for him which made him want her ever more, if that was possible. It was only a few more seconds before he threw her underwear onto the floor.

Before she knew it, Neal had positioned himself in-between her legs. He looked deeply into her eyes and then kissed her passionately. With one deep thrust, Neal entered her. She let out a slight gasp and he stopped kissing her for a moment. As he looked into her eyes once more, she knew he was checking to see if she was all right. She smiled, giving him permission to proceed. He continued, and she could feel every movement. He felt so good inside her as her walls became tighter around him.

He could feel himself building, and he could sense she was too. With every thrust he hoped she could feel how much he loved her. He moved faster and faster and drove deeper into her. He soon found his release, as he shouted, "Emma, oh, Emma!" And with a few more thrusts, so did she.

Emma suddenly woke up and her breathing was extremely heavy. She wiped the sweat off of her forehead at looked at her clock, 4:45AM. She knew that night she dreamed about all too well; it was the night that she became pregnant with Henry. Every detail in her dream was how she remembered it. It was hard for her to believe that their last night together was so long ago. Their son was nearly a teenager, and Neal was now gone forever. She had been angry with him for so long. She was angry that he abandoned her in New York, for turning her into the police, and making her give up their son, and depriving her of missing so many years of her son's life.

The more she thought about Neal, the harder it was for her to go back to sleep. She finally gave up, got dressed, and quietly left the apartment, careful to not wake her parents and her new baby brother. She got into her car and drove to a certain place in the woods.

When she found a place to park her car, she sat there for a minute, trying to gather her thoughts. She struggled trying to figure out how to put her emotions into words. She finally got out of the car and walked through the woods, until she reached the spot she dreaded more than anything. She looked down at the recently placed soil and then up at the rising sun, before lowing her eyes to look at the headstone that was placed at Neal's final resting place. She fell down on her knees and began sobbing. She still could not believe he was gone. The first man she truly loved, the first person that made her feel loved was no longer in her life. He was gone forever. Though the memories were painful to think about, she knew she needed to have this conversation with him. She needed there to be a final ending.

"Neal, I hope you can hear me, and maybe you think this is pointless, but I need to end this chapter of my life before I can move on. I loved you more than you will ever know. And I'm sorry for keeping Henry from you, but I didn't know why you left me on my own to fend for myself. I was angry, and I made the decisions I did because of what I knew then. I wish I could change everything, but I know I can't. I hope you understand that I need to move on. So many years have gone by since we were together, and seeing you again rekindled old feelings, but I don't think they were still real. You will always be a part of my life. You were the first person I ever loved, you taught me how to live, how to love, and most importantly, you're the father of my son. I will always have those memories, Neal. And every time I look at Henry, I'll think of you. And I promise, I will always take care of him and make sure that he is happy. I hope you understand why I need to move forward with my life. It's not just for me, but for Henry. You said you wanted me to be happy, and Killian makes me happy. We both know that he needs a strong father figure in his life. A boy shouldn't have to grow up without a father. But I'm sure you know that more than anyone. Though we will never be the perfect family, I want you to know that you will always be Henry's dad, my first love, and my hero."

She stood back up and looked at Neal's name engraved on his headstone. "Good-bye, Baelfire." As she whipped the tears from her eyes and turned around, she was startled to see Rumpelstiltskin standing there. "Gold, I wasn't expecting to see you here", she said with a worried tone in her voice. "I could say the same to you, Ms. Swan. What brings you here this early in the morning?" "I just had something I needed to address. I'm sorry for your loss, and I hope my little brother can live up to the name my parents gave him. He was named after a great man." Rumpelstiltskin smiled, "Ah, indeed."

As she began walking back towards her car, he called out to her, causing her to turn around. "Ms. Swan, my son was a very forgiving and understanding man. I know he would want what is best for you and for Henry. He said he wanted you to be happy, and I believe that." Emma smiled as he approached her. "I hope that even in his absence, that you will still allow me to spend time with my grandson." She smiled, "Of course. And by the way, you can call me Emma. We're practically family after all." Rumpelstiltskin nodded as Emma continued walking back to her car. She was finally able to close that long chapter in her life. It wasn't an easy thing for her to do, but she new that Rumpelstiltskin was right. Neal would understand. He wanted her to be happy. Feeling as though a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, she knew that she could now take the next step in her life and be able to move on.


End file.
